*[Enwl-eng] [press-release] Greenpeace International rejects piracyallegations, demands access to detained activists

[ENWLine]

*Greenpeace International rejects piracy allegations, demands access to
detained activists*

Amsterdam, September 24, 2013 - Russian authorities today released a new
statement (1) regarding Greenpeace International activists on board the
ship Arctic Sunrise. The Greenpeace International ship is currently
being held outside the port city of Murmansk.

The statement announces that the Northwestern Federal District
Investigations Directorate has 'opened a criminal case' into possible
piracy offences but - despite some media reports - does not confirm that
the crew will be charged or prosecuted with piracy.

Greenpeace International Executive Director Kumi Naidoo responded to the
Russian statement:

"Peaceful activism is crucial when governments around the world have
failed to respond to dire scientific warnings about the consequences of
climate change in the Arctic and elsewhere.

"Any charge of piracy against peaceful activists has no merit in
international law. We will not be intimidated or silenced by these
absurd accusations and demand the immediate release of our activists."

In a statement posted online in response to the boarding of the Arctic
Sunrise, international legal expert Assoc. Prof. Stefan Kirchner said:

"Labelling non-piracy acts as piracy can harm international anti-piracy
efforts... All States should refrain from using the term with regard to
acts which obviously do not amount to piracy." (2)

Under the Russian Criminal Code, piracy does not apply to either oil
platforms like Prirazlomnaya or to peaceful protest. (3)

According to Article 106 of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea,
"where the seizure of a ship or aircraft on suspicion of piracy has been
effected without adequate grounds, the State making the seizure shall be
liable to the State the nationality of which is possessed by the ship or
aircraft for any loss or damage caused by the seizure." (4)

*Contact:*
Greenpeace International press desk: +31 (0)20 718 24 70 or
pressd...@greenpeace.org
Greenpeace International picture desk: +31 (0) 20718 2471
Greenpeace International video desk: +31 (0) 20718 2472

*Notes:*
(1) http://en.sledcom.ru/actual/355701/
(2) http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2329446
(3)
http://www.russian-criminal-code.com/PartII/SectionIX/Chapter24.html.
See Article 227.
(4)
http://www.un.org/depts/los/convention_agreements/texts/unclos/closindx.htm



From: "Aaron Gray-Block" <aaron.gr...@greenpeace.org>
Sent: Tuesday, September 24, 2013 3:52 PM
Subject: [press-release] Greenpeace International rejects piracy
allegations, demands access to detained activists


------------- * ENWL * ------------
Ecological North West Line * St. Petersburg, Russia
Independent Environmental Net Service: http://www.bellona.ru/enwl/
Russian: ENWL(discussions), ENWL-inf(FSU information), ENWL-misc(any topics)
English: ENWL-eng (world information)
en...@lew.spb.org, enwl...@lew.spb.org, en...@lew.spb.org, en...@lew.spb.org
Subscription, Moderator: vf...@lew.spb.org or en...@enw.net.ru
Archive: http://enwl.bellona.ru/pipermail/
and http://groups.google.com/group/enwl/
SEE ALSO: http://www.bellona.org (English)and http://www.bellona.ru
(Russian)
RSS: http://groups.google.ru/group/enwl/feeds?hl=ru
(C) Please refer to exclusive articles of ENWL
-------------------------------------
ONLY if your address is subscribed:
Enwl-eng mailing list
Enwl...@enwl.bellona.ru
http://enwl.bellona.ru/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/enwl-eng